City in desperate need of more investigation officers

Committee suggests number of total staff should be around 6,500

KARACHI:

As with several other metropolitans, Karachi has more than its fair share of crime. According to a recent report, as many as 40,000 to 50,000 cases are registered every year and a fair amount of them fall under heinous crimes.

As a result, an investigation officer in the city is overburdened with up to 40 cases a year. The number of police officers investigating cases in the so-called economic hub of the country is alarmingly low. It is practically impossible for investigating officers to properly probe a case and achieve the desired results.

The process of reviewing the investigation system has been completed on the orders of the Karachi police chief. A committee, comprising a DIG and two SPs, compiled a detailed report on the investigation system in which astonishing statistics have surfaced.

It has been confirmed that 40,000 to 50,000 cases are registered in the city every year under various sections, including cases of heinous crimes.

The report reveals that a police officer investigates more than 40 cases annually. In a city of tens of millions, the number of investigating officers is only 985.

In its report, the committee reviewing the investigation system proposes an immediate increase in the number of investigating officers. The report adds that the approved number of officers for investigation of cases across the city is 3,476.

The current number of officers and officials in the investigation department from constable to DSP rank is 3,469.

The total number of staff in the Karachi police investigation department should be 6,459. There is a difference of 2,990 in the number of existing and proposed staff in the investigation branches of the Karachi Police.

The overburdened officers are often unable to turn arrests into conviction as the quality of their investigation falls short when presented before a court of law.